“alto” starringdiana degarmo

BEST FIRST - TIME DIRECTOR
RUNNER - UP
WINNER
AUDIENCE FAVORITE
BEST WOMEN’S FEATURE
AUDIENCE FAVORITE
CENTERPIECE SELECTION
CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO PRESENTS A SHAKE THE TREE PRODUCTIONS PRODUCTION A FILM BY MIKKI DEL MONICO “ALTO” STARRING DIANA DEGARMO AND NATALIE KNEPP
DAVID VALCIN, LOU MARTINI, JR., MELANIE MINICHINO, WARD HORTON, LIN TUCCI, ANTHONY J. GALLO, JAKE ROBARDS WITH BILLY WIRTH AND ANNABELLA SCIORRA
(MIKKI DEL MONICO j TONI D’ANTONIO i MIKKI DEL MONICO AND ANNABELLA SCIORRA p ELLORA DECARLO x MARY COOPER, JUDY DOVE, JOHN YONOVER
g VALENTINA CANIGLIA, AIC-IMAGO f MARILYN D’AMATO ORIGINAL SCORE BY THOM ROTELLA ^ NINI CAMPS, MARILYN D’AMATO, TRINA HAMLIN, ANTIGONE RISING, SCOUT, ACE YOUNG
WWW.ALTOTHEMOVIE.COM # ALTOTHEMOVIE FACEBOOK/TWITTER/INSTAGRAM/ALTOTHEMOVIE © ALTO THE MOVIE, LLC 2015
World Sales
CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO
Andrew Schreiber
[email protected]
+ 1 818.588.3033
Marketing & Publicity
CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO
Beth Portello
[email protected]
+1 818.588.3033
Plot Summary and Logline | Page 2
Synopsis | Page 3
Cast Bios | Page 4 and Page 5
Film Still Samples | Page 6
Dons and Creatives | Page 7
Director’s Statement | Page 8
,,
Producer
TONI D’ANTONIO
[email protected]
+1 347.267.4092
Music | Page 9
Tech Specs / Contact | Page 10
FAQs | Page 11
Festival Information | Page 12
/altothemovie
www.altothemovie.com
PLOT SUMMARY AND LOGLINE
A
enough said?
Improbable love, the mob, and family traditions gone
awry pave the way for comedy in this character-rich
story that ventures into uncharted
territory, proving the most surprising
discoveries often come when we least
expect it, in the midst of murder plots,
federal investigations, and oh yeah,
lasagna. When unlikely worlds collide, it
all comes down to...
Two Girls. One Gun.
The Mob.
C
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SYNOPSIS
Francesca “Frankie” Del Vecchio is headstrong and passionate about two things: her band and good old
fashioned Italian-American culture...and by this, we are talking about anything NOT related to the Mob. Still
living at home with her mother and sister, engaged to the RIGHT boy from a good Italian family, Frankie’s
life seems to be going down a very traditional path...until she discovers a dead body in the trunk of a rental
car, messing up a perfectly good New Jersey gig. Her sister, Heather, who can’t get enough of anything
Mafia — including being obsessed with the cult phenomenon TV show MOB HIT — sees an open door, and
she's determined to go through it…right to the funeral.
At the wake, Frankie and Heather meet two people for whom the Mafia isn't a television show. Nicolette
Bellafusco manages wedding bands and also happens to be the sophisticated daughter of Caesar “The
General” Bellafusco, a newly crowned Brooklyn don. Heather is captivated by Ceasar, Nicolette is captivated
by Frankie, and Frankie can’t wait to get the hell away from it all. That, however, is easier said than done.
Not only are the Feds swiftly on Frankie, questioning her about her new Mafia friends, but Nicolette shows
up at the band’s next gig – triggering something in Frankie she never would have imagined.
As Frankie finds herself alienated from her fiancé and – ambivalently – growing closer to Nicolette, she
manages to cast herself as a featured player in a full-scale conspiracy against Bellafusco, wherein only she
can prove who is really out to get him. Unexpectedly paralleling the very stories she detests on MOB HIT,
caught between her planned marriage to Tony and her growing attraction to Nicolette, Frankie is finding
out that the most surprising discoveries often come when we least expect it, in the midst of murder plots,
federal investigations, and oh yeah, lasagna.
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DIANA DeGARMO (Frankie) is wellloved not only for her powerful voice
and success in the third season of
American Idol but also for her many
theatrical roles in award-winning
productions of Hair, Hairspray, 9 to 5,
and most recently, a national tour of
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat.
NATALIE KNEPP (Nicolette) has
appeared in numerous films and had
guest starring and recurring roles on
hit TV shows like Orange is the New
Black and The Good Wife. She
recently starred in the Mel Brooks
executive-produced feature film,
Sam, to be released soon.
BILLY WIRTH
BILLY WIRTH (Caesar Bellafusco) is
known for his breakout role in The
Lost Boys as well as his career as a
model discovered by photographer
Bruce Weber. Wirth has appeared in
numerous films and TV movies and
has had recurring roles in the TV
shows Wiseguy and Chicago P.D. as
well as appearances in shows such
as Major Crimes, Law & Order:
Criminal Intent, CSI, Sex and the
City, Charmed, and Tales from the
Crypt. He has also directed and
produced the feature film,
MacArthur Park, and executiveproduced A Single Shot as well as
the upcoming Man Down.
DIANA DeGARMO
ANNABELLA SCIORRA
ANNABELLA SCIORRA (Sofia Del Vecchio)
emerged in the film scene with an
Independent Spirit Award nomination for
her role in the film, True Love. Other film
credits include Jungle Fever, The Hand
That Rocks the Cradle, What Dreams May
Come, Mr. Wonderful, Cop Land, The
Addiction, The Funeral, The Cure, Find Me
Guilty, Romeo is Bleeding, Mr. Jealousy,
Reversal of Fortune, 12 And Holding, and
King of the Jungle. In addition to her
role on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, she
has also appeared in The L Word, Blue
Bloods, The Good Wife, CSI, and Taxi
Brooklyn. She also has extensive credits
in the theatre, most recently in A Month
in the Country at CSC.
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NATALIE KNEPP
WARD HORTON
C
WARD HORTON (Special Agent
Laughlin) starred in New Line
Cinema’s box office standout,
Annabelle, which grossed over $250
million worldwide. He followed that
up with the romantic comedy, My
Bakery in Brooklyn, and was cast in
director Steve McQueen’s HBO pilot,
Codes of Conduct, starring Helena
Bonham Carter. Ward has appeared
in many other feature films as well
as TV shows such as Royal Pains, CSI:
Miami, White Collar, Body of Proof,
and Law & Order: SVU. He is also
well-known for his recurring roles on
One Life to Live, Guiding Light, and
All My Children.
DAVID VALCIN
LOU MARTINI, JR.
LIN TUCCI
DAVID VALCIN (Mike Del Vecchio) is best
known for his recurring role as Scarface in
the hit CBS drama, Person of Interest. He is
also known for his recurring role in Two of a
Kind with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. He
has appeared in numerous films such as
Garry Marshall’s New Year’s Eve, and TV
shows such as Just Shoot Me!, The Practice,
and Law & Order.
LOU MARTINI, JR. (Louie Chinzano) has
appeared on the hit TV shows, Law &
Order, Orange is the New Black, and The
Americans but is perhaps best known for
his role as Anthony Infante on The
Sopranos. Not only is Lou a prolific film
actor, but his latest script, Honor, is
slated to shoot this fall, with Joe Bologna
directing.
LIN TUCCI (Lina Cappelletti) is a recent
SAG Award winner for Best Comedy
Ensemble for her recurring role as
Anita DeMarco in Orange is the New
Black. She has appeared on stage
alongside Joann Worley and Phyllis
Diller.
Her film roles include
Showgirls, Brooklyn Rules, and How to
Seduce Difficult Women.
MELANIE MINICHINO (Heather Del Vecchio)
has worked on TV shows including The
Sopranos, Law & Order, and the Comedy
Central pilot, The John Roberts Show,
directed by Michael Showalter. She has
been the female voice of Disney Junior since
2010 and has been a featured voice in Kung
Fu Panda and in hit video games like Halo 5.
JAKE ROBARDS (Tony Cappelletti) has
appeared in numerous films, most
recently Lucky Them with Toni Collette
and Johnny Depp.
He performed
alongside Paul Newman in the Broadway
production of Our Town, and has
appeared in this season of Amazon’s
Alpha House.
ANTHONY J. GALLO (Sonny Gagoots)
has starred in films such as Brothers
and Live from Studio B and had
supporting roles in Men in Black III,
My Brother’s Keeper, and The Intruder.
He has also appeared on Law & Order,
Law & Order: SVU, Lipstick Jungle, and
the pilot episode of White Collar.
MELANIE MINICHINO
JAKE ROBARDS
5
Anthony j. Gallo
INT. SLOPE FITNESS -- DAY
EXT. BROOKLYN STREET -- DAY
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D
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MIKKI DEL MONICO (Writer-Director) works
out of a true passion for the craft of
storytelling. Winner of both an Alfred P.
Sloan Screenwriting Award and Production
Grant, he has also served as a film editor,
book editor, and a digital media assistant
on a ship that sailed the Atlantic Ocean.
Alto is his directorial debut.
VALENTINA CANIGLIA, AIC-IMAGO (Director of
Photography)
is
an
award-winning
cinematographer with a style that translates
each story’s unique concept into breathtaking
moving images. Amongst her many spots for
TV and commercials, she has lensed numerous
films including Fred Won’t Move Out, starring
Elliot Gould, and is about to begin shooting Il
Ragazzo della Giudecca, starring Giancarlo
Giannini and Franco Nero.
THOM ROTELLA (Composer) has
performed or recorded with the likes of
Norah Jones, Stevie Nicks, Phil Spector,
Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, David
Foster, Donna Summer, Cher, The Beach
Boys, Lionel Richie, Bette Midler, Luciano
Pavarotti, and Frank Sinatra. He has
composed music for television and
commercials and has played on
numerous soundtracks.
C
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TONI D’ANTONIO (Producer) has had a
twenty-year career both in front of and
behind the camera. It’s harder to find a
job she hasn’t done than one she has.
With a diverse knowledge of and
immense respect for the creative
process, her “get it done” mentality is
unstoppable.
ELLORA DeCARLO (Executive Producer)
is known as the “everybody wins” girl
and has worked as an actor, singer, and
producer in NYC for fourteen years. She
is also a tireless international advocate
for children living outside the love and
stability of a permanent home.
DAWID PYPEC (Associate Producer) has
used his love of film and humanity to work
on films such as Secrets Never Told: Stories
from the Foster Care System. He is an
integral member of the creative team of
Shake the Tree Productions, LLC, and
continues to produce shorts and features
both independently and with the team.
GRAZIANO BRUNI (Line Producer) has
worked for nearly a decade in indie film
and TV for clients such as MTV, TLC, A&E,
Spike TV, and Discovery. Drawn to
compelling stories, his collaborative
spirit allows him to communicate the
needs and desires of the creatives into a
plan that translates across the project.
POST FACTORYNY (Post Production Services)
is a NYC-based full-service post-production
facility. Digital Intermediate Producer
Cristina Esterás-Ortiz coordinated the post
for Alto with Digital Imaging and Color
Science by Terry Brown, Digital
Intermediate Color by Ben Perez, ReRecording Mix and Sound Design by Keith
Hodne, and End Crawl by Seth Buncher.
7
C
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MARILYN D’AMATO (Production Design and
Original Music Coordinator) has worked as a
production designer, art designer, and
music producer, who cut her teeth in the
industry as a singer/songwriter signed to
Geffen Records and Warner Chappell. She
has lent her talents to the Grammys, The
Sopranos, Celebrity Apprentice, Mr. & Mrs.
Smith, School of Rock, and John Tuturro’s
Romance & Cigarettes.
Director’s Statement
Alto was always intentionally a movie to make
people laugh, and through humor, help heal the wounds
that separate us, particularly from those we love.
This is the point at which Alto begins: la famiglia…for
many Italian-Americans, a source of great pride and
responsibility, as well as a repository for all the
complicated emotions evolving from that. Admittedly, I
was thinking of my family from the first draft. Their hard
work and sacrifice, through generations, made my life
possible.
My use of the Mafia in this film was as intentional as the
use of comedy. While I see the shadow Cosa Nostra casts
on the many Italian Americans who have no part in it, I
wanted to acknowledge that something besides its
criminal element has cemented its place in the
American psyche: the idea that in a culture that venerates
the individual, there is a way to celebrate family and find
a secure place within it—a sense of belonging—while still
leaving the question mark of uniqueness enough room
to materialize.
I know what it’s like to step outside the everyday world
and play by my own set of rules. The path to making this
film involved my coming out as transgender,
something I’d felt completely unprepared to discuss for
many years. I have a great family, but I wasn’t prepared
for their acceptance. I’d tied myself in knots because I
didn’t want to hurt them. Instead they gave me the gift
of any great family: their love.
photo credit: Mikiodo
photo credit: Gary J. Cooper
In the end, I wanted to make a film that would break
through the differences between people and encourage
authentic lives. When I considered what I’d written—a
character whose planned life disintegrates when she
questions what she’ll do to stay true to herself—it felt
impossible to explore the story thoroughly without
acknowledging the creative pressure inside me to do
so, and it felt impossible to explore that creative pressure
without letting it push me into the world. Through
directing this film, I found a voice willing to expand
beyond what I previously found comfortable.
As an Italian-American, I was taught that my life
experiences are not all about me. It just so happens,
some of those lessons are the stuff of comedy. Alto is,
first and foremost, a love letter to the people who made
me: for the hours they dedicated to my upbringing and
to the communities in which they lived. Through them, I
learned that what matters in the world is simple but
getting there is not. Alto emerged from a place that
knew both. It emerged from family.
photo credit: Mikiodo
— Mikki del Monico
8
full bios available at www.altothemovie.com/music
9
Total Run Time:
101 minutes (NTSC)
Production:
Manhattan, Brooklyn (NYC)
Hoboken (NJ)
Nanuet, Sea Cliff (NY)
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | 1.78
Shot On:
Producer
TONI D’ANTONIO
[email protected]
+1 347.267.4092
RED Epic Dragon 5K RAW
Exhibition Formats:
BLU-RAY
DCP (NTSC) with 5.1 PCM audio
(advance notice required)
Dialogue/Languages:
English | Italian dialect
/ altothemovie
World Sales
CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO
Andrew Schreiber
[email protected]
+ 1 818.588.3033
Marketing & Publicity
CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO
Beth Portello
[email protected]
+1 818.588.3033
www.altothemovie.com
10
FAQs
IS THIS THE FIRST ROMANTIC MOB COMEDY DIRECTED BY A TRANSGENDER MAN?
As far as we know, yes.
HOW DO WE HOPE THE AUDIENCE WILL RECEIVE THE FILM?
We want people to laugh, of course, but beyond that, we want them to feel like they have a stake in how the film is
received, meaning we hope they’ll want to watch the film again and tell others to watch it, too. We want our audience
members to join la famiglia and to let us get to know them. We want people to have fun, but we also hope they’ll use the
film to build connections. Maybe it encourages you to have a viewing party instead of sitting home alone. Maybe it helps
ease a conversation with a parent or other family member. Maybe it makes you think about your own family’s
immigration stories…or maybe it just makes you laugh, and that’s OK, too.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO COMPLETING THE FILM?
You’d get a different answer from everyone involved, but if you factor out money—because that’s obvious—the hardest part
was not burning out on the material. In independent film, you have so many jobs and the deeper into the process you
get, the number of people to whom you can delegate tasks dwindles while your to-do list does not. I’d say the toughest
thing to remember was to slow down enough to enjoy the process. We know we are very lucky. We got to make a movie.
HOW MANY DAYS DID WE SHOOT?
Initially, eighteen, and then we went back in for three days of pick-ups, for a total of 21 days.
WHY DID WE USE KICKSTARTER AND WAS THAT OUR ONLY SOURCE OF FUNDING?
It was coming close to the start of a new year. A time to reevaluate and move forward with your strengths. The producer
hadn’t found traction with the script and was about to let the material go, but something inside her said no. So we were
down to our last attempt, and that took the shape of a Kickstarter campaign. The producer said, “if we make our goal, we
will make the film.” On the strength of that campaign, we were able to secure private investors for the rest of the budget.
I’d say if you’re trying to make a film, find a producer who believes in the project even more than you do.
FOR ANSWERS TO MORE QUESTIONS, SEE THE DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT, P. 8
RUNNER - UP, AUDIENCE FAVORITE
WINNER
AUDIENCE FAVORITE
SPECIAL CENTERPIECE SELECTION
VISIONFEST AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
WINNER, AUDIENCE FAVORITE
WINNER, OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN, MARILYN D’AMATO
NOMINEE, JACK NANCE BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, DIANA DEGARMO
NOMINEE, OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE, NATALIE KNEPP
NOMINEE, BEST PRODUCTION, TONI D’ANTONIO, MIKKI DEL MONICO, ELLORA DECARLO, ANNABELLA SCIORRA
WINNER, BEST FIRST - TIME
DIRECTOR Mikki del Monico
DFFLA
WINNER, BEST WOMEN’S FEATURE
North Carolina Gay & Lesbian
Film Festival
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION